During the operation of a self-propelled vehicle driven by an internal combustion reciprocating engine, particularly a high performance vehicle, the engine and its components become hot. There is a hazard that the heat from the engine and other components of the vehicle will cause the fuel, such as gasoline, being delivered to the engine to be heated to a point where it tends to vaporize before it is distributed to the carburetor or fuel injectors. This tends to cause an interruption of the fuel flow to the engine, and this causes the engine to surge or otherwise malfunction.
The fuel coming from the fuel cell or gas tank travels through the fuel line from the rear of the vehicle along the frame and then moves to one side of the engine where the fuel pump is located and is connected to the fuel pump. Usually, the fuel pump is mounted on a lower front portion of the engine block, in the general area adjacent the exhaust manifolds. The fuel line from the fuel pump to the carburetor extends upwardly from the fuel pump and about the engine block, past the water pump and the exhaust manifolds. As the engine and its components operate, they emit a large amount of heat at high temperatures, usually higher that the boiling temperature of the fuel. This tends to heat the fuel lines leading toward and away from the fuel pump and the fuel flowing through the fuel lines.
As the fuel passes through the fuel pump, additional heat is added to the fuel by the action of the pump and by the conduction transfer of heat from the engine block to the fuel pump, and then as the fuel passes upwardly from the fuel pump around the engine block, it receives more heat from the engine block as well as from the water pump.
If the total amount of heat absorbed by the fuel in the fuel line and in the fuel pump exceeds the vaporization temperature of the fuel, the fuel tends to vaporize and that forms a vapor lock in the line leading to the carburetor or fuel injectors.
In order to maintain the fuel at a temperature low enough to avoid vaporization of the fuel, fuel lines have been extended through a “cool can,” which is container about the size of a coffee can, with the fuel line arranged in a coil in the can. Ice is packed in the can about the coiled fuel line so that the ice contacts the helically wound portion of the fuel line. The fuel is cooled as it passes through the cool can. This is a temporary fix for high performance vehicles used in racing situations and does not solve the problem of vapor lock on a more permanent basis.
It is to the above noted problems that this invention is directed.